The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which was temporarily adopted in 1979, is a draconian measure that continues to this day. Over decades, governments have used it to “attack and harass minorities, activists, journalists and critical voices,” says Amnesty International. The National People’s Power had promised to repeal it, but recent statements suggest that it has changed its mind.
Colombo (Asia News) – Sri Lanka’s Lawyers Collective expressed concern over recent statements indicating that the new administration that took office in September could perpetuate the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the abolition of which it had promised during the election campaign. . The group explains that the law allows arbitrary detention and torture of suspects. Concern is not new about this measure that many have defined as “draconian”, adopted as “temporary” 45 years ago and made into permanent law in 1982. Sri Lankan governments have retained it to attack and harass minorities, activists, journalists and critical voices,” Amnesty International denounced in a February 2022 report.
On October 29, 2024, the legal representative of the Presidency Secretariat, lawyer JM Wijebandara – appointed in September by Dissanayake – had said that the problem is not that the PTA exists, but rather its misuse to detain activists. civilians, journalists and others. He stated that the government would not allow this misuse, that the rule would only be applied on the basis of “credible intelligence” and would not be used for political vendettas. That same day, Cabinet spokesperson Minister Vijitha Herath stated: “The abolition of the PTA is being discussed. We will only be able to talk about changing the law when the new Parliament has been elected.”
The non-priority treatment that the government gives to the issue intensifies the concerns of the group. In its August 2024 election manifesto, indeed, Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) pledged to “abolish all oppressive acts, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and guarantee the civil rights of people everywhere.” the country” (p. 129). During the recent presidential election campaign, and even before, the party founded by the current president had actively spoken out against the PTA and the abuse of powers it allows, and had opposed new, equally oppressive laws. Therefore, according to the lawyers, the new statements are worrying: “President Anura Kumara Dissanayake – they write – must fulfill the commitment to repeal the PTA, this is what the voters are asking for. The statement released on behalf of the government by the lawyer JM Wijebandara must be unequivocally clarified and a clear commitment to repeal the PTA made public. This clarity and these decisions are necessary to build public confidence that the government supports the repeal of the law.
The group of lawyers also asks all political parties to commit to supporting this objective in the next Parliament, which will take office after the elections to be held in Sri Lanka on November 14. “The parties – they affirm – must commit to ensuring that Sri Lanka’s anti-terrorism legal framework respects human rights. If emergency measures are necessary in a given situation, all emergency powers must be strictly limited to the periods in which they have been declared a state of emergency. These measures will strengthen the rule of law, democracy and human rights in the country and, in turn, increase confidence in governance.”
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